Kim Kardashian is facing backlash for a recent photoshoot featuring a Tesla Cybertruck and Optimus robot.
The 44-year-old reality TV star shared several snapshots to her Instagram account for Perfect Magazine’s 8.5 issue, posing with two of the Elon Musk-led automotive company’s offerings.
The photoshoot, which seemingly took place in November 2024 in Malibu, features one photo in particular showing Kardashian lying on a bed outdoors at night by a rocky seaside view.
“I think the big joke of me even doing the shoot with the robot is that I feel like I’m so robotic,” Kim said to Perfect Magazine’s Michael Holden.
However, social media users criticized Kardashian for the photoshoot, given Tesla’s current controversies under Musk and her history of fighting for criminal justice reform.
According to the New York Times, Tesla faces declining sales, stock drops, and public discontent over Musk’s political affiliations with President Donald Trump, his cuts to federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and his controversial straight-arm salute that resembled a salute used in Nazi Germany.
Kardashian has seemingly been a fan of Tesla and reportedly became Cybertruck owner in February 2024, per Business Insider.
Her purchase of a Cybertruck predates the 2024 presidential election and Trump’s ethically-concerning showcase for Tesla vehicles at the White House’s South Lawn as a presumed favor for Musk last Tuesday.
Last November, coincidentally around the time of her Perfect Magazine photoshoot, Kim shared videos of herself interacting with the Optimus robot to her social media accounts.